Mode op obtaining motive powek



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JACOB PRINGLE, OF SUMMERHILL, PENNSYLVANIA.

MODE OF OBTAINING MOTIVE POWER.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 29,303, dated July 24, 1860.

To all 'whom 'it 'may concern:

Be it known that I, JACOB PRINGLE, of Summerhill, in the county ofCambria and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and Improved Modeof Obtaining Motive Power; and I do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had tothe accompanying drawing and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

My invention consists of a bucket wheel hung within a cistern containingwater, a lire-place attached to the cistern and a blowing apparatus witha pipe to convey the air to the buckets of the wheel the whole beingconstructed and arranged in the manner described hereafter so that thecold air on being discharged at the orifice of the pipe and coming incontact with the hot water in the cistern, will expand and displace thewater in the buckets on one side of the wheel thereby causing the latterto revolve.

In order to enable others to make and use my invention I will nowproceed to describe its construction and operation.

On reference to the accompanying drawing which forms a part of thisspecification Figure l, is a sectional elevation of my apparatus forobtaining motive power, and Fig. 2, is a ground plan.

A is a cistern, within which and to a shaft B is hung a wheel C,composed of two circular plates between which are secured a series ofinclined vanes a a and an annular partition b, so as to form a series ofbuckets similar to those of an ordinary water wheel.

At one end of the cistern and attached to the bottom of the same is afire place D furnished with a doorway c grate bars Z and ash pit e. Fromthis lire place a flue E takes a horizontal direction tothe verticaltube F through which the products of combustion pass to the externalair.

Near one of the lower corners of the cistern is secured a blowingapparatus Gr which may consist of an ordinary pair of bellows, a blowingcylinder, or, any equivalent instrument capable of discharging a smallbut forcible jet of compressed air. In the present instance the blowingapparatus consists of a simple pair of bellows inclosed within a box Gthe handle of the bellows project-f ing through a slot in the front endof this box where it is connected by a rod I-I to a bell crank lever I,the latter being actuated by a crank it on the shaft B through themedium of the rod z'.

A pipe 7c from the bellows passes through the cistern and has aninclined end projecting upward so as to be as close as possible to theedge of the vanes a of the wheel C without being in actual contact withthe same, the orifice of the pipe being situated beyond a vertical linedrawn perpendicularly through the center of rotation of the wheel.

The cistern being filled with water, the fuel in the fire place isignited so as to reduce the water nearly to a boiling point. Motion isthen imparted to the bellows so as to force a minute jet of air throughthe orifice of the pipe K. The compressed air which had previously beenin a comparatively cold state expands immediately on leaving the orificeof the pipe and coming in contact with the water in the cistern, theexpanded air displacing the water in the buckets on one side of thewheel C, and in its attempts to reach the surface of the water, turningthe wheel in the direction of the arrow.

It will be evident that a constant circulation of water is maintainedwithin the cistern and that it is constantly acting on the buckets onthe edge of the wheel opposite to that where the water is displaced fromthe buckets. As long as the water, therefore, is maintained at a propertemperature and a current of compressed air is forced through the pipe Kthe wheel must revolve with a force corresponding to its diameter andthe capacity of its buckets.

As a very small et of cold air is required, the bellows or other blowinginstrument may be operated by the crank rods or levers above describedwithout detracting to a great extent from the power of the machine.

I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent- Thebucket wheellC, cistern A, fire-place I), blowing apparat-us Gr andair-pipe K, the whole being constructed, arranged, and operating as andfor the purpose herein set forth.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specication, in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

JACOB PRINGLE.

Witnesses:

HENRY HowsoN, CHARLES D. FREEMAN.

